Hydrodissection Facilitates Open Resection of Morton's Neuroma Through a Plantar Approach: Technique Tip.

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Robust differential gene expression patterns in the prefrontal cortex of male mice exposed to an occupationally relevant dose of laboratory-generated wildfire smoke.

Wildfires have become common global phenomena concurrent with warmer and drier climates and are now major contributors to ambient air pollution worldwide. Exposure to wildfire smoke has been classically associated with adverse cardiopulmonary health outcomes, especially in vulnerable populations. Recent work has expanded our understanding of wildfire smoke toxicology to include effects on the central nervous system and reproductive function; however, the neurotoxic profile of this toxicant remains ill-explored in an occupational context.

Mapping the unicellular transcriptome of the ascending thoracic aorta to changes in mechanosensing and mechanoadaptation during aging.

Aortic stiffening is an inevitable manifestation of chronological aging, yet the mechano-molecular programs that orchestrate region- and layer-specific adaptations along the length and through the wall of the aorta are incompletely defined. Here, we show that the decline in passive cyclic distensibility is more pronounced in the ascending thoracic aorta (ATA) compared to distal segments of the aorta and that collagen content increases in both the medial and adventitial compartments of the ATA during aging. The single-cell RNA sequencing of aged ATA tissues reveals altered cellular senescence, remodeling, and inflammatory responses accompanied by enrichment of T-lymphocytes and rarefaction of vascular smooth muscle cells, compared to young samples.

Assessment of Left Lung Remodeling With Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Murine Model Following Exposure to Douglas Fir Smoke.

Wildland firefighters (WLFFs) experience lung function decline due to occupational exposure to fire smoke. WLFFs typically do not wear respiratory personal protective equipment, and if they do, it is a simple bandana, which is not effective at filtering smoke. To pinpoint the biological underpinnings of abnormal respiratory function following 3-7 years of WLFF service, we exposed mice to Douglas fir smoke (DFS) over 8 weeks.

Modified Dresden Technique With a Distal Locking Suture for Achilles Tendon Repair: Technique Tip.

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The role of V-ATPase in vacuolar physiology and antimalarial drug uptake.

To ensure their survival in the human bloodstream, malaria parasites degrade up to 80% of the host erythrocyte hemoglobin in an acidified digestive vacuole. Here, we combine conditional reverse genetics and quantitative imaging approaches to demonstrate that the human malaria pathogen employs a heteromultimeric V-ATPase complex to acidify the digestive vacuole matrix, which is essential for intravacuolar hemoglobin release, heme detoxification, and parasite survival. We reveal an additional function of the membrane-embedded V-ATPase subunits in regulating morphogenesis of the digestive vacuole independent of proton translocation.

Short-course subcutaneous treatment with PQ Grass strongly improves symptom and medication scores in grass allergy.

Background: A modified grass allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) product with MicroCrystalline Tyrosine and monophosphoryl lipid-A as an adjuvant system (Grass MATA MPL [PQ Grass]) is being developed as short-course treatment of grass-pollen allergic rhinitis (SAR) and/or rhinoconjunctivitis. We sought to evaluate the combined symptom and medication score (CSMS) of the optimized cumulative dose of 27,600 standardized units (SU) PQ Grass in a field setting prior to embarking on a pivotal Phase III trial.

Methods: In this exploratory, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial subjects were enrolled across 14 sites (Germany and the United States of America).

Physiologic Motion in the Intact and Unstable Syndesmosis During Plantigrade Weightbearing in Controlled Ankle Motion Boots.

Consensus has not been reached for the optimal postoperative care after high ankle sprain and syndesmotic fixation. A potential drawback of earlier return to activity is greater instability of the ankle and fixation failure. The controlled ankle motion (CAM) boot has been an effective implementation to stabilize the leg and may aid in safe early weightbearing status.

Displaced Intra-articular Calcaneus Fractures: Extensile Lateral and Less Invasive Approaches.

Treatment of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures is controversial and must be individualized by patient and fracture type. With an extensile lateral approach, all components of the deformity in displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures can be addressed. The extensile lateral approach is indicated in more complex fracture patterns and when delay of surgery is necessary because of severe soft-tissue injury beyond 2 to 3 weeks.

Prolonged smoldering Douglas fir smoke inhalation augments respiratory resistances, stiffens the aorta, and curbs ejection fraction in hypercholesterolemic mice.

While mounting evidence suggests that wildland fire smoke (WFS) inhalation may increase the burden of cardiopulmonary disease, the occupational risk of repeated exposure during wildland firefighting remains unknown. To address this concern, we evaluated the cardiopulmonary function in mice following a cumulative exposure to lab-scale WFS equivalent to a mid-length wildland firefighter (WLFF) career. Dosimetry analysis indicated that 80 exposure hours at a particulate concentration of 22 mg/m yield in mice the same cumulative deposited mass per unit of lung surface area as 3600 h of wildland firefighting.

Respiratory mechanics following chronic cigarette smoke exposure in the Apoe[Formula: see text] mouse model.

Even though cigarette smoking (CS) has been on the decline over the past 50 years, it is still the leading cause of preventable premature death in the United States. Preclinical models have investigated the cardiopulmonary effects of CS exposure (CSE), but the structure-function relationship in the respiratory system has not yet been fully explored. To evaluate these relationships, we exposed female apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe[Formula: see text]) mice to mainstream CS ([Formula: see text]) for 5 days/week over 24 weeks with room air as a control (AE, [Formula: see text]).

Pharmacological and physiological response in Apoe mice exposed to cigarette smoke or e-cigarette aerosols.

Objective: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are popular nicotine delivery devices, yet the health effects remain unclear. To determine equivalent biomarkers, we characterized the immediate response in Apoe mice exposed to tank/box-mod e-cig (e-cig), pod e-cig (e-cig), or cig smoke.

Materials And Methods: Reproducible puff profiles were generated for each aerosol and delivered to Apoe mice via a nose-only exposure system.

Plasmodium's bottomless pit: properties and functions of the malaria parasite's digestive vacuole.

During intraerythrocytic growth, the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum degrades up to 80% of the host cell's hemoglobin inside an acidified organelle called the digestive vacuole (DV). Here, the globin chains are broken down by a number of proteases, while heme is detoxified through biomineralization, a process that is targeted by several potent antimalarial drugs. This review explores our current understanding of the DV, including the digestion of hemoglobin, the sequestration of heme, and the functions of lipids and transporters of the DV membrane.

Effect of moisture content and fuel type on emissions from vegetation using a steady state combustion apparatus.

Emission measurements are available in the literature for a wide variety of field burns and laboratory experiments, although previous studies do not always isolate the effect of individual features such as fuel moisture content (FMC). This study explores the effect of FMC on gaseous and particulate emissions from flaming and smouldering combustion of four different wildland fuels found across the United States. A custom linear tube-heater apparatus was built to steadily produce emissions in different combustion modes over a wide range of FMC.

Simulated Wildfire Smoke Significantly Alters Sperm DNA Methylation Patterns in a Murine Model.

Wildfires are now a common feature of the western US, increasing in both intensity and number of acres burned over the last three decades. The effects of this changing wildfire and smoke landscape are a critical public and occupational health issue. While respiratory morbidity due to smoke exposure is a priority, evaluating the molecular underpinnings that explain recent extrapulmonary observations is necessary.

Hierarchically porous polyimide/TiCT film with stable electromagnetic interference shielding after resisting harsh conditions.

Polymer-based conductive nanocomposites are promising for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding to ensure stable operations of electronic devices and protect humans from electromagnetic radiation. Although MXenes have shown high EMI shielding performances, it remains a great challenge to construct highly efficient EMI shielding polymer/MXene composite films with minimal MXene content and high durability to harsh conditions. Here, hierarchically porous polyimide (PI)/TiCT films with consecutively conductive pathways have been constructed via a unidirectional PI aerogel–assisted immersion and hot-pressing strategy.

Super-elasticity at 4 K of covalently crosslinked polyimide aerogels with negative Poisson's ratio.

The deep cryogenic temperatures encountered in aerospace present significant challenges for the performance of elastic materials in spacecraft and related apparatus. Reported elastic carbon or ceramic aerogels overcome the low-temperature brittleness in conventional elastic polymers. However, complicated fabrication process and high costs greatly limited their applications.

Structural and functional remodeling of the female mouse aorta due to chronic cigarette smoke exposure.

Despite a decline in popularity over the past several decades, cigarette smoking remains a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Yet, the effects of cigarette smoking on vascular structure and function are largely unknown. To evaluate changes in the mechanical properties of the aorta that occur with chronic smoking, we exposed female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice to mainstream cigarette smoke daily for 24 wk, with room air as control.

A dual-sensor ultrasound based method for detecting elevated muscle compartment pressures: A prospective clinical pilot study.

Background: Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a limb-threatening condition associated with elevated muscle compartment pressures (MCPs). The only existing treatment of ACS is to reduce MCP by fasciotomy; however, a reliable clinical method for detecting elevated MCPs is lacking. A dual-sensor (ultrasound and pressure) technology to detect elevated MCPs was previously tested on cadavers.

Use of Osteobiologics for Fracture Management: The When, What, and How.

Osteobiologics are defined as a group of natural and synthetic materials used to augment bone healing. The selection of the most appropriate osteobiologic from the growing list of available options can be a challenging task. In selecting a material, surgeons should weigh a variety of considerations, including the indication for their use (the when), the most suitable substance (the what), and the correct mode of application (the how).

A 15 month experience with a primary care-based telemedicine screening program for diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Using telemedicine for diabetic retinal screening is becoming popular especially amongst at-risk urban communities with poor access to care. The goal of the diabetic telemedicine project at Temple University Hospital is to improve cost-effective access to appropriate retinal care to those in need of close monitoring and/or treatment.

Methods: This will be a retrospective review of 15 months of data from March 2016 to May 2017.